I am not really familiar with all the different programs out there, I know I wasn't into AA because of the higher power and religous overtones.
I had my own rational thought process about what I was doing, and I am sure it is very similar to ideas put forth by some programs.
I asked myself several questions and was honest in my answers
Why was I drinking? to have a good time and forget the worries of life
Problem was I had a good time while drinking, but that is short lived and the next day is more miserable. The positive gain from drinking Saturday night was outweighed by the negatives experienced Sunday; mental math says that is a net loss of "good time". Maybe if I stopped at two pints this wouldn't have been an issue, but I usually drank more than I should.
I would forget the day's worries in the short term, but putting off what bothers me doesn't make it go away. That just lets the problem fester and become a bigger hassle most of the time.
Now that's just a generic example, I had many more specific examples and pretty much all of them had similar results when I really objectively thought about why I was drinking, and what the consequences really are.
I spent a lot of money on alcohol, even drinking at home. I have been putting off other leisure activites because I don't have the money to spend on them. I haven't been snow skiing in seven years because it is too expensive, well I spend more than that on beer and vodka, many times over. Figure in the cost of weed on top of that and I could be driving a much nicer and newer car instead of a ten year old Buick that I have to repair myself. The opportunity costs of the financial expenditures on alcohol and pot were staggering when I put them in writing. So many things I say I couldn't afford, I couldn't afford them because I was blowing my discretionary income on intoxicants. What do I have to show for all that money spent?
I also looked at where I am in life, and I am dissatisfied. My college buddies are all now doctors, lawyers, business owners, PhD's in their fields, etc. I am jobless and without any game plan. My last career sucked, and I don't know which field to try and get into. Sitting around getting drunk every night lessens the discomfort I should be feeling about this situation, and I procrastinate on it like I do with many other problems in life. Alcohol was allowing me a short term escape route from life. You can't escape from life and still live a good life. The fruits of my life choices were ripening, and they were sour. Yes, this makes me want to drink and forget it, then next thing I know it will be ten years from now and I will have gone nowhere.
What was I getting out of alcohol? nothing
What was it costing me? seems like nearly everything